Service cabinet



H. A. SMITH SERVICE CABINET Filed May 25, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 if Haw/wow 6mm 5 2 a 8% 67 W Qflifojmez 5 Qijuolefiiom Aug. 23, 1927. 1,639,904

H A. SMITH SERVICE CABINET 4 Filed May 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I r n'i I.

Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRISON A. SMITH, OF NEENAH, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE SERVIDOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N; Y., A'CORPORATION 0F DELA- WARE.

sEnvIoE clmrun'r.

Application filed May 23, 1921. Serial No. 471,566. M

, My invention relates to service cabinets for permitting transfer of articles to or from an enclosure, without at any time permitting free access to or from the enclosure by per sons outside or inside the same.

The various objects of this invention are in the nature of improvements onand departures from the structure disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,222,964 to F. J. Matchette, April 17th, 1917.

-One object of the invention is to simplify the manipulation necessary in closing or opening either door. To simplify the closing operation. I have provided mec'hanism whereby the single movement of pushing the door into closed position, is all that 15 required of the operator,th1s movement automatically locking the door, adjusting the inter-locks, and the signals'for indicating the condition of the compartment. To simplify the opening operation I have provided for accomplishing that also by a single movement, in this instance the pressing of'a' push button which unlocks the door and permits spring mechanism to automatically throw the door open.

Another object is to mount all the locking, inter-locking and signalling mechanism in a single casing, as a compact, unitary de.

vice.

Another object is to provide for the operation of the necessary signals and the me chanical inter-locking by a single reciprocating member. An advantage involved 1n this is that the signals and the inter-lock may all be mounted in a single frame.

Another object is to materially simplify and reduce the amount of equipment necessary for manutact'uring devices according to my invention in different sizes. For this purpose, I have reorganized the parts so as to materially reduce the number of elements cabinet, or other purposes, but which-never- I theless, provides just as complete protection as if this feature'were absent.

Another object is to eliminate the use of cylindrical members for parts of the 1 'echanism subjected to load.

Further ob ects and advantages of my in vention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

' In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a door in which a service cabinet according to my invention has been embodied.

Figure 2 is an enlarged isometric view of one end of the locking and inter-locking mechanism,showing the hook carried by the door in position to enter the lock.

- Figure 3'is anelevation of the entire locking andinter-locking mechanism, from the open side of the'casin'g, which side is normally laid against the framework of the cabinet;

Figure 4 is a similar elevation with the inter-locking slides HIlCl',l11OVlbl8 signals removed; and

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 3. j e j In the embodiment of my invention selected for illustration, "each oi": the compartment doors carries a plate 12, provided with a booklet, for engagement with the locking mechanism supplied, and a suitable handle element 16, servingmerely as a grip for the operator in moving the door. One edge of each plate is substantially flush with the free edge of the door, and is apertured as at 18. to overlie a registering aperture 20, in the end piece 22 of casing 24. Through these apertures the signals for indicating the condition of the compartment are displayed. Y

' The casing 24 is formed at a single piece of sheet metalicomprising a back portion 26, duplicate end portions 22, bent at right anglesto back portion 26 and duplicate top and bottom walls 28 co-operating with the other walls to define a boX-likeenclosure open atone side only. Suitable'lugs 30 integral with the top; and bottom walls 28. and

bent tolie in a plane parallel to the back portion 26, provide for fastening the casing against the inner wall of the structure of the compartment,so that when put in place. the casing completely houses the mechanism mounted. therein. I I

Duplicate sets of locking mechanisms, arranged 'to'co-operate with'hooks for the same, are provided in opposite ends of the casing. These locking mechanisms comprise ejectors 32 and catches 34. Each ejector comprises a flat body portion havingsllding eng g m t with the rear wall 26 of the of lugs 66, projecting from the inner edge of the interlocking and signalling mechacasing, and is guided for limited sliding outwardly as indicated in Figures 4 and 5, movement by a rivet 36, passing through the and terminating in an eye 76. The actuatejector and riveted into the rear wall 26, ing means engaging eye 76 for actuation of the ejector having a slot 38, the length of the release lever 54, mounted in the elewhich slot limits the movement of the ej'ecment 7 8, forming part of the fixed structure toix' The body of the ejector is notched of the door 80, inwhich I prefer to install near its outer end to provide ample clearmy service cabinet. It is the onlyportion ance for movement of catch,34, and at its of the entire operating mechanism not extreme outer end carries an upwardly bent mountedin and supported by casing 24 and lug 40, flush with the upper portion of the comprises a plunger 82, slidable through a hook receiving aperture 42 in therend of the face plate 84, fast on the element 78. A casing. At its rear end the ejector carries flange 86 engages plate 84 to limit outward lugs 44 and 46, lug 44 being arranged to comovement of the plunger, and a push-rod 88 operate with ejector spring 45 to throw the encircled by a compression spring 90, passes doorv open when the-catch withdrawn, and through eye 76. A shoulder 92 provides an lug 46 co-operating with the inter-locking abutment for one end of spring 90 which mechanism in a manner to be described herepresses against eye 76 at the other 1 If iuattten V a release lever 54 is free to be operated, Catch 34 is another tlatsheet metal memplunger 82 may be pushed in to compress her, slotted at 48 to receive rivet 50, which spring 90 and rotate the release lever against performs the same fimction as rivet 36. the opposing force of spring 52 to depress Catch spring 52 normally holds catch 34 in catch 34 and release hook 14. If, however, the position illustrated in. Figure 4, and a release lever 54 is locked against movement, manually actuated release lever 54 engages a plunger 82 can only operate to compress shoulder in the body of the catch to move, spring 90, without either unlocking the door, same downward. throwing the lug 56 out of 01' injuring the transmission between the the notch 58 in hook 14 to release the'door. plunger and. the locking element. a

Lug 56 lies at a proper angle just back of Slide 94 is the only -element extending aperture 42 so as to engage the sloping nose from one end of the casing to the other, and

i of hook 14 and be forceddown until spring operates to perform the interlocking func- 52 engaging lug 53, snaps the catch up again, tion and also the signalling function. This positioning lug 56 in notch 58. As the line slide is supported and guided by apertured of force of lever 54 in its action on catch 34 lugs 9.6, bent up fromthe remote edges of is not in alignment with slot 48, I prefer to the bights 62 of the Ushaped supports for vid an dditi l i t, 60,.engaging the the sets ot' mechanism located at the ends edge of catch 34 to prevent any tendency of oi the casing. It slides in contact with the the same to rotate. surface of each bight, and its reciprocatOry Associated with the locking means at each movement is limited by projections 98 ex:

till

loo

end of the casing is a, U-shaped, supporting tending inwardly through slot 100. in each member, formed of sheet metal and compris biaht 62, and beyond the plane of bight 62 in a relatively arrow bight 62, inter-conto selectively lock release levers 54' against necting two parallel plates 64 lying in conactuation and compel opening the doors of tact with the top .and bottom walls 28 of the cabinet in alternate sequence. Suitable casing 24. resilient means in the nature of a leaf spring This single-sheet metal element embodies 55,1 2 PP B l On a fiXed'pin 1 4,, moun ed guiding and supporting means for all the on the rear wall 26 of the casing and enmovable parts, associated with the interg ging a mOVable pin 106 carried b'yslide locking and signalling means, and receives 9 0 8 3 pe ate hOlCl Slid at one of the pintles of release lever 54. A pair one end ofrits path of movement.

In the position illustnatedin the drawing of each plate 64, pass through registering the left-hand door'is locked by the intcrapertures in. the rear wall 26, and areriveted lock, but the catch of the right-hand door over as shown in Figure 5. The provision may be manually released to obtain access of these individual supports for the portion to the cabinet. Upon reference to Figures 4 and 5 it will be noted that the left-hand nism. associated. with the locking means at projection 98 over-lies the arm 70, so that the end o the casing, materially simplifies the left-hand. release lever- 54 cannot be m the process of manufacture and assembly. tuated. At this time both ejectors 32 will Ea h r le e er piece of sheet metal provided with projecin Figure 4.

62, and. the reap wall 26 the casing, a. key 108 for automaticallyshifting the interrearward pro ect on 70 for co-operation lock slide 94 when the corresponding door is with the inter locking. mechanism, andan opened and closed again. Each key is pivactuating arm fl2, bent downwardly and; then otally supported on pintles entering plate 541 comprises a single be in the position indicated in dotted lines The locking: mechanism at v trons 68 forming pmtles enter ng the plate each end of the casing is. provided with a 64 of the lock-support, and 'is normally resiliently urged toward the inclined position illustrated in the drawing by a leaf spring 110. At the endopposite spring 110 the key has a portion 112 wide enough so that its edge is interposed in thepath of lug 46- on the ejector, and a still wider-portion 114, wide enough so that its edge will swing through a path lying partly in the plane of slide 94 to encounter'a lateral projection 116 on the slide and actuate the same. The right-hand door may now be opened by pushing in the corresponding plunger 82, and leaf spring 45 will throw the door partly open by pushing ejector 32 against the end of hook 14. 'This movement will carry lug 46 past portion 112 of the key, rotating it into the position shown in dotted line in Figure 5, and passing beyond it to permit it to return to the full line position. When the door is closed again the return movement of lug 46 will swing the key through an angle more than 90 degrees before the lug catch is clear of portion 112 and spring 5 110 will thereupon rotate the key through the rest of a displacement of 180 degrees, as indicated by the dotted line and arrow in Figure 5. During the first part of this movement, while the key is positively. ac-v tuated by lug 46, portion 114 encountersprojection 116 to shift slide 94 to its other position, in which the right-hand projection 98 over-lies the right-hand arm 70.. The right-hand door, therefore, cannot be opened until the opening and subsequent closing of the left-hand door has reset slide 94 in the position shown in the-drawings.

For indicating to "persons on both sides of the cabinet, the conditionof the same, I provide indicating means comprising two targets adjacent each side and means for changing the indications given by the targets each time one .of the doors'is operated. To make this part of the structure as simple as possible, I employ only one movable target adjacent each door, and position an-.

other fixed target where it may be covered by the movable target, or exposed by removing the same. The fixed targets 118 are light strips of sheet metal suitably united as by spot welding at 120 to the end walls22 of the casing. Each movable target comprises a plate 122, with its edge turned over as at 124 to form the indicating portion of the target, and lugs 126 engaging a vertical spindle 128, which spindle preferably extends from one plate 64 to the opposite plate. A small ear 130 is struck up from the edge of plate 122, to project through an aperture 132, inthe slide 94, It will'be obvious that the reciprocatory movement'o'f the slide will rotate the targets around their pivotal mountings, andas shown in Figure 5 the left-hand target hasbeen swung to cover the stationary target at that end, and

get.

the right-hand target has been similarly swung, to move it out of alignment with aperture 20, and expose the stationary tar The indicia employed will vary with the use to which the cabinet is put. In a cabinet employed for the transfer of goods from a delivery man or purveyer outside a house or other enclosure, to the customer within theenclosure, the cabinet will be empty after the customer has opened his door and removed the contents. If the right-hand door, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 is the receiving side, the movable target on the left and the fixed target on the right, are preferably both lettered with the word Empty. This will apprise the delivery 'man that the cabi net is in condition-to receive an article in that particularcompartment, and will also inform the customer that there is nothing in that compartment for him to remove. Similarly the stationary target'on the left and the movable target on the right, should carry indicia indicating that an article has been deposited in the cabinet. This may be indicatedby the word Locked, or by any other suitable symbol.

It should be noted that slide 94 and casing 24 are the only two elements extending from side to side of the cabinet. In manufacturing cabinets of a large number of different thicknesses therefore, the only parts that need be changed are the casings and slides. It'should also be borne in mind. that while I have illustrated my improved interlocking mechanism arranged to provide for operation of the doors in alternate sequence. the novel features thereof are equally applicable to arrangements providing for repeated operation of either or both doors. without at any time permitting simultaneous operationofboth. r i 7 After one door has been opened. the interlocking mechanism must be reset to produce subsequent opening of the other door. In

the'devices of the prior art. this mechanism was practically inaccessible and it was therefore impossible for the user to succeed in opening both. doors at once without takin the device apart.- In case milk or other fluids ha ened to be spilled inside the compartment. it was necessarvtherefore, to clean the interior of the compartment as thore oughly as possible from one side. and then afterclosino the door on that side. to'go to the other side and open the other door to complete-the cleaning rocess. In the erobodiment of my invention herein. disclosed. after the right-hand doorhas been opened. the parts may be reset to permit openinn of the lef -hand door without closin the right- 3 hand door. by pushing ejector 32 in to the dotted line position with a screw driver or other tool and permittinq'it to snap back into the full line position. The left-hand door may now be opened from inside, leaving the compartment with both doors opened for cleaning or for any other purpose desired, as, for instance, when the customer desires to see and speak with the delivery man, but does not Wish to leave the main door 80 open.

Vithout further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist 01 my invention, that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service, without departing from certain features which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which itemseare intended to be defined and secured to me,

by the following claims.

I claim: I 1. In combination, a normally closed compartment, a plurality of doors providing access to said COlllPfLltD'lGllt, locking means op-' erated by swinging said doors to closedposi tion to hold them closed, manual means for releasing said locking means,- said locking means operatingto throw the door open when released, and an inter-locking mechanism connecting said sets ot'locking'mechanism to permit operation of said doors in predetermined sequence only.

2. In combination. a compartment, a plualiiry 0t doors'associated therewith, locking means automatically operated. by moving either door to closed position for holding locking means, and connections operated by 1 movement of said door to closed position, for locking said door and actuating said interlocking means and signal.

4. In combination, a normally closed com partment, a'pluralityof doors providing ac-' cess to said-compartment, locking means ing said interlocking connection and lock mg said door. v

I 6. In combmatmma compartment,- aplu-o rality of doors associated therewith, means i automatically operated by moving either door to closed position forholding said door. closed, and interlocking means also operated automatically by closing one of said doors to prevent release of said door until another door has been opened and closed.

7. In combination, an enclosure, doors in said enclosure, and interconnections for preventing opening of one door after it has been closed until after actuation of the opposite door, said interconnections including dupli cate elements projecting; inwardly from each doorand having locking irregularities of contour, means engaged by the elementon one door upon closing to retain said-door closed, and means operated by the other element for readjusting said interconnections to permit subsequentcreleaseotsaid first ele ment. i I

8. In combination, an enclosure, doors in said enclosure, and.interconnections-for preventing opening of one door after it has been closed until after actuation of the opposite door, said interconnections including elements projecting inwardly from each door and having locking irregularities of contour,v means engaged bythe .element on one door upon closing to retain said door closed, and means opera-ted bytheother element for re"- adjustingsaid interconnections to permit subsequent release of said first element. Q

9. In combination, anxenclosuradoors in said enclosure,..a lockingelement carriedby one door,.locking. means operated automatically by moving said door to closedposition for preventing subsequent openingthereot, similar element carriedrbythe other door, and means actuated by saidlastv mentioned element for 'readjustingsaid locking means tlo permit opening. of said; first mentioned c 001'.

. 10 In combination, an enclosure, doors 1 insa-id enclosure, a locking element carried operated by swinging said doors to closed position to hold them closed, manual means for releasing said lockingmeans, said: looking means operating to throw'the door open when released, and interlocking mechanism connectingsaid sets of locking mechanism to prevent successive operation of one door without intervening operation of the other.

5. In combination, a compartment, a plu rality of doors associated therewith, locking means for one of said doors, an interlocking connection preventing release of said locking means until after actuation of the other door,- and connections operated by openlng and closing said first mentioned, door for adjust l by one door, locking means automatically operated by moving said door toclcsed posi tion, releasing means for-said locking means a slidable interlock, connections including said locking element for sliding said-inter lock in opposite directions upon actuation of said doors, saidv interlockremaining; in'-' diflerentlyin either shifted position, said interlock co-operating" With said releasing means inone position for preventing "and in thevother position for permitting withdrawal of said locking element. V

11. In combination, anenclosure, 'doors on different sides of saidienclosure, aninterlock extending thru said enclosure, said interlock-being slidable to and-'fro by operation of said doors, and connections between said interlock and one doorfor locking said" door when opened and again closed until after operation of the other door. 7

12. In combination, an enclosure, doors on different sides of said enclosure, a plate extending thru said enclosure, said plate being slidable to and fro by operation of said doors, locking means for one of said doors automatically holding its door shut when said door'is opened and again closed, said plate having a projection co-operating with 10 said locking means to release the same upon actuation of the other door.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of May 1921.

V HARRISON A. SMITH 

